Published 11:33 IST, September 21st 2020
Kepa's disastrous stint at Chelsea continues as he suffers ANOTHER howler vs Liverpool
Chelsea shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga's disastrous form continued against Liverpool after Sadio Mane intercepted his shot to settle the clash at the Bridge.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Since his arrival at Chelsea in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao, Kepa Arrizabalaga hasn't been his usual self, failing to live up to the mammoth £71.6 million that the Blues paid to sign him. The Spanish shot-stopper, who was once linked with defending LaLiga champions Real Madrid, has struggled to form at Stamford Bridge since his arrival as he delivered another disastrous performance against Liverpool on Sunday.
Chelsea vs Liverpool highlights: Sadio Mane breaks deadlock
Frank Lampard's men had a couple of decent opportunities in the first half to open the scoring at home. However, the Blues could not take due advantage of their opportunities against Liverpool, with the first half ending goalless. Injury-time also saw the sending off of Andreas Christiansen after he brought down Sadio Mane. The Dane was handed a yellow card initially, but was ultimately sent off by the referee after going through the replay.
Five minutes into the second half, Sadio Mane bagged the opener for Jurgen Klopp's side. The 28-year-old headed past Kepa after a brilliant exchange between Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. However, things were yet to turn sour for Kepa. The Spanish shot-stopper went on to hand another goal to the defending Premier League champions just four minutes later.
Chelsea vs Liverpool highlights: Kepa's grievous error against Liverpool
Kepa attempted to clear his lines four minutes after the opening goal but was put under pressure by Sadio Mane. Unable to find space to clear, the Senegalese international intercepted the shot and struck it past the Chelsea goalkeeper to make it 2-0 for Jurgen Klopp's Reds. Chelsea, though, had the opportunity to cut down the two-goal deficit from the spot after debutant Thiago Alcantara brought down Timo Werner inside the box. The spot-kick was saved well by Alisson Becker, who conceded all his spot-kicks earlier in the Community Shield vs Arsenal.
Frank Lampard speaks on Kepa's mistake
This isn't the first instance of such a display from Kepa this season. In the opening game against Brighton, Kepa conceded a shot from outside the box, although the Blues won the fixture 3-1. Speaking on Kepa's performance against Liverpool, Frank Lampard said he believes that the Blues could have at least produced a draw against the defending Premier League champions if it were not for Kepa's mistake.
During his interaction with Sky Sports, the manager asserted that it is his job to motivate Kepa despite his mistakes. It was indeed a big mistake and the Spanish international has accepted it, added Frank Lampard. Amid the mounting criticism directed at Kepa. Chelsea next come up against Barnsley in the third round of the FA Cup on Wednesday. Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is expected to complete his move to Chelsea by then.
Also Read | Thiago transfer news: Liverpool agree €30m deal with Bayern Munich for Spanish midfielder
Image courtesy: AP
Updated 11:33 IST, September 21st 2020